Chapter 319: The School Suicide Case

On May 14th, Lin Qiupu suddenly called everyone to the meeting room. Besides the familiar faces, there was a newcomer whom Lin Qiupu introduced as Luo Haifeng from the local police station.

Luo Haifeng greeted everyone, smiling briefly at Lin Dongxue. He then explained the purpose of his visit, “Here’s the situation. At first glance, this might not seem like a criminal case, but given its peculiarity, I thought it best to consult with experts in criminal investigation. In the past week, five students from a local middle school have jumped to their deaths…”

“Five suicides!?” The officers were stunned.

“After our investigation, we found that these five students had no apparent reasons to commit suicide. They were all outgoing and cheerful, with no major family issues or history of mental illness. By talking to their classmates, we discovered one common factor: all five had bullied a girl named Fan Lixue. This is her…”

Luo Haifeng pointed to the projection screen, where Fan Lixue’s student ID photo was displayed alongside six other girls’ photos.

Lin Dongxue asked, “Why are there six photos?”

“Well, the one on the far right, Han Jingming, is still alive. The students all said she was the leader of this bullying group. Because of the suicides, her role in the bullying was exposed. Han Jingming has been under immense psychological pressure and has been taking leave from school, too scared to even leave her house.”

“Officer Luo, what was the order of these suicides?” asked Lin Qiupu.

Luo Haifeng detailed the sequence of deaths and briefly described each victim. Lao Zhang noted, “Interesting. If we assume this is a murder, the victims seem to have been targeted from the outermost members of the group to the core member, systematically.”

“Like taking down a boss in a game. Han Jingming would be the final boss,” Xu Xiaodong added.

“Are we sure they were suicides?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“The first two deaths had no witnesses, but there were no other footprints or fingerprints at the scene. The last three had witnesses, and their deaths were captured on video. They were definitely suicides,” Luo Haifeng responded.

“Do you have the videos?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“I do.”

Luo Haifeng transferred the videos from witnesses’ phones to the computer, projecting them on the big screen. The footage showed a classroom scene, with students rushing to the windows upon hearing that someone was about to jump. The victim walked straight to the edge and fell, prompting screams from the onlookers.

The officers were shocked by the footage. Lin Dongxue felt something was off. The way the girl jumped was too straightforward, too decisive.

“There are more videos from different angles, showing the same thing. Do you want to see them?” Luo Haifeng asked.

“No need for now,” Lin Qiupu said.

Peng Sizhuo asked, “Was an autopsy performed?”

“The parents of four victims did not request one. Only one was sent to the medical university for an autopsy. Here’s the report,” Luo Haifeng said, handing the report to Peng Sizhuo.

“Captain Peng, what’s the verdict?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“No signs of poisoning or external force. The coroner also ruled it as suicide,” Peng Sizhuo replied.

“How is that possible…” Xu Xiaodong wondered aloud, raising his hand. “Could this be hypnosis? Did you see how the victim walked straight to the edge and fell without hesitation? It must be hypnosis!”

Normally, such a suggestion would be dismissed, but the current situation made many officers nod in agreement.

Interestingly, Lin Dongxue had recently discussed hypnosis with Chen Shi. She said, “As far as I know, hypnosis has its limits. No matter how deep the hypnosis or how skilled the hypnotist, the subject cannot be made to do something against their morals or harm themselves. If such a suggestion is made, the subject will immediately wake up.”

Unsure, Lin Qiupu said, “Let’s review the videos again. Luo Haifeng, show us the other angles.”

The officers watched the videos repeatedly. Some believed it was hypnosis, while others disagreed, leading to a heated debate. Peng Sizhuo suddenly spoke up, “If I may, I’d like to show you another video.”

Peng Sizhuo downloaded a video from his email and played it. The footage showed a subway platform. A man walked straight onto the tracks and fell. Two others, a man in a red vest and a high school student, jumped down to save him. Just as they were about to pull him up, the man fell back, causing all three to be crushed by the oncoming train.

Gasps filled the room. Lin Qiupu asked, “Captain Peng, where did you get this video?”

“This surveillance footage is from Chenghai Road subway station on the evening of May 7th. I got it because the district’s forensic doctor is my apprentice. That night, they were under pressure to clear the tracks and resume service quickly, so he asked for my help. The events unfolded exactly as you saw. I kept a copy because the case seemed odd. I never thought it would come in handy now.”

In the stunned silence, Luo Haifeng remarked, “Chenghai Road subway station is in the same district as the school.”

“Let’s watch it again,” Lin Qiupu said.

They replayed the video several times, focusing on why the man suddenly gave up at the last moment. The low resolution and poor lighting made it impossible to see his expression or identify anyone on the platform clearly.

Xu Xiaodong speculated, “Maybe someone on the platform was threatening him with a gun?”

Lin Dongxue countered, “No guns in the subway. You can’t bring them in.”

“I think the key question is whether the man was hypnotized,” Lin Qiupu said. “We need an expert on hypnosis to understand this better.”

Peng Sizhuo said, “I know someone who can help.”